Calling a time out

Wow.  That was a heck of a trip.  Finally, it's over and I can get a quick respite before getting my next assignment, or so I hope.  I got the multiple pounds of paperwork sent in to the office so hopefully I can get paid on it by the end of the week.  That, and I still have a trip that I'm waiting to get paid for, so at least there's some money coming my way soonish.

Since I'm still in the training phase, I consider this part of my final exams.  The challenge was to keep everything in order, plan out a good working route, make all of your deliveries on time, and keep it within the hours-of-service regulations.  The variance on my miles (actual miles vs. what they will actually pay me for) was just a tad over , but it wasn't any major number and I explained it on the trip sheet I submitted, so hopefully there shouldn't be any problems.  Everything else -- spot on.  Yay me.

Another reason I'm hoping for a break, at least for today, is that I seem to have developed a little case of the sniffles, and I'm hoping it's just because I'm venturing into areas where more pollens are being released.  The last thing I need is to come down with a full-blown cold, or heaven forbid, the dreaded flu.

The rain held off until I finished today (yay) and it's sort of a spotty showery ... thingy out there.  I'll get some more work caught up, try to relax a bit because I've been up since about 3 this morning, and see where my travels take me next.  Oh, and the picture above is from the current trip, when I stopped in between deliveries in Shorter, Alabama, just east of Montgomery.

So, until the next update, take care.

Do The Hustle

I have a big load.  It's being spread out over seven stops, of which my first is in Mississippi tomorrow afternoon.  I left my shipper early this morning and made it to Arkansas by noon, which is where I'm writing this post.  I guess the naps I had over the course of the day yesterday right up until it was time to leave weren't enough, because as soon as I got back to the truck after lunch, I crashed for a couple of hours.

My income tax refund came through earlier this week, and I got paid for the partial Arizona run I did, so after I got bills paid (couple of credit cards needed tending to) I splurged for a small vacuum for the truck and over the past couple of days I've been restocking my pantry with ramen soups, snacky-type foods, drinks, water (for the soups, of course), and whatever else I have the chance to get.  I must remember the next time I go back to the truck from home time, I need to pack some other spices.  Salt and pepper are fine, but the ramen needs more of a kick to it.  Oh darn, I guess I'll have to go to Penzey's and get some small jars of stuff.

Restocking is usually done when I have the money to do so, and lately that's been tough to manage.  In addition to personal things, I also have to buy things for the truck, like oil, coolant, antigel for the fuel in the colder parts of the country, and scale tickets (when I weigh on a certified scale away from the shipper to insure the load is of legal weight and distributed properly).  I get reimbursed for these things, but not until I am able to submit the paperwork and receipts, and after that there's usually a three-day lag until I get paid.  It makes managing things a bit tricky, and at times it's downright frustrating.

In contrast to the last time I was in these parts, today was a beautiful day.  The winds were a little fierce but it wasn't too cold and the sun was out.  I took this picture right around sunset.  I'm in the same truck stop I was in the last time I was here, because it has two things I look for in a stopping place:

• Plenty of parking, so even a tired, strung-out idiot like me can park the truck without hitting anything; and
• A restaurant that serves things other than disc-shaped patties of ground beef between buns with fries and sodas.

I'm feeling a little bit of a headache tonight, and I'm guessing it's because I had no coffee today and my caffeine level is getting low.  I've had food, so I'm sure that's not the cause.  I'll take some pain relievers before I go to bed and I should be okay in the morning after I have some coffee.  It's about four hours to my first stop on this load, so I don;t have to rush off right away and can actually get a decent breakfast in the morning.  If I'm lucky, I might be able to get a shower.  I only say that because they're remodeling the showers and don't have a lot available like they usually do, so even though I'll be up early, I won;t be rushing right out to the highway.

Have a great weekend, in case I can't get back online then, and be well until next time.

Changing seasons, changing moods

Today was a terrific day, weatherwise.  The sun was shining, and it warmed up nicely.  By the time I parked, I'm sure the temperature was in the upper 70s, maybe even the low 80s.  I saw greening along the sides of the road, and landscapers out mowing the grass at a few local businesses.

Not bad for the end of February.

This was the main reason I moved to Texas in the first place.   I spent enough of my life in places that had actual winter that I had really reached the point of not being able to withstand another spell of freezing cold and snow.  Worse yet, my travels had brought me to the Upper Midwest, which has even more winter than I had ever experienced.  

With the job I have now, I've had to venture into areas of the country that are still having winter.  I consider myself lucky that my experiences with winter haven't been too horrible thus far, and we're in the waning days of the season.  The daylight hours are growing longer and eventually the threat of snow will cease for a little while anyway.

It was warm days like this that fueled a wanderlust when I was younger.  Usually, at the first signs of warm weather, I would hop in the car and take an aimless ride, windows down if it was warm enough for that, just enjoying the return of warmer weather after the onslaught of bitter cold and icy roads.  I would just pick a road and follow it, turning whenever I felt the urge to do so, until eventually I would turn toward home, just glad to be able to be out and revel in the return of more temperate weather.

Today, I didn't feel that.  I haven't felt that for quite a while, actually.  Maybe it's the advancing age, maybe it's the fact that I spend most of my time on the road anyway, there was just no thrill to the springlike feel to the day.  In fact, I felt a little melancholy at times, not really sure of the cause.

I'll still be glad when winter is over completely, everywhere, and I no longer have to worry about icy highways, snowy mountain passes, or the threat of dropping temperatures.  I've always said I can cool down quicker than I can warm up.  With the air conditioning running in The Cave (my cutesy nickname for the sleeper compartment of the truck), I'm keeping quite cool and comfortable.  I plan to enjoy the weather as long as I'm able, because before I know it, I could be back in the northern part of the country where winter still maintains it's icy grip.

Let's all hope it won't hold on too much longer.

Working from sun to sun

My day started in Phoenix, right around sunrise, when I went to fetch my load.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it all ready, so all I had to do is hook up, weigh out to make sure everything was legal (needed a minor correction but overall was fine), and down the highway I went.  I missed the bulk of Phoenix traffic leaving when I did, fortunately, and made good time to my fuel stop in Willcox, and from there I headed to my stopping point in Van Horn, TX.

I wasn't sure if I would be able to grab a decent picture when I stopped this evening, so I took this one before I left Willcox.  You may have noticed that I like taking pictures of the mountains when I'm in that area of the country.  Maybe it's just me, but there's just something about seeing them rise up over the landscape, watching the sun rise and set over them, I just find it awe-inspiring.  And, the different lighting angles at times produce amazing colors on the rocks.

Timewise, I was cutting it close getting to Van Horn, but this was the only place I could stop that had a) actual facilities like restrooms and a place to grab some food and other supplies, and b) anything else would have been too far away to be of any use in saving as much time prior to departure, so after making sure I would be legal on my times, I rolled, just catching the beginnings of El Paso traffic as I was leaving the city (yay for my planning [yes I planned it, don't be silly]), and got parked just as the sun was beginning to set.

Tomorrow should be an easier day, as I can stop a short distance from my receiver and rest up, preparing to roll early in the morning from wherever it is I decide to camp.  There's some places nearby, but before I say for sure where I will be, I want to do some more research.  Luckily, I can do that at my fuel stop, and if worse comes to worse, I just stay where I fuel.  No big loss either way.

Also, because I know you all might be getting tired of the landscapes, and because I've been reading blogs about other people's cats, here's a photo I shot last night at the truck stop in Phoenix.  I don't know where this cat came from, but it seemed to have the right attitude for hanging out at a truck stop.  I watched as some of the truckers and other customers tried to gt the cat to come over to them, but each time kitty side-stepped and moved back to a more secure location.  Pretty cat, though, and I wonder if it lived nearby or was truly a stray.  Looks a little too healthy to be a stray, I think.

Tomorrow, up bright and early yet again to roll to my next stopping point, and delivery on Thursday morning.  Depending on where I end up, I may be able to blog, so I guess we'll see what happens, or even if I have anything to write about.

Have a good night.

Thawing out

It was a good thing I took yesterday's picture when I did, because the snow came in not long after.  We had waves of snow all through the day, which caused me concern because I had to run all night to make my first stop in Arizona and icy roads really tend to hamper progress. The roads were the worst through New Mexico and a little bit into Arizona, but they gradually got better and drier the further I went.  One more little ice patch in the mountains outside Flagstaff, and all after that was smooth sailing to this morning's delivery.

I'm spending today in Phoenix, since my available hours are up and I can't go anywhere until tomorrow.  Compared to what I was in for the past week, I'm really enjoying the warm weather.  I'll be staying more south on my run back to Texas, away from the ice and snow for at least a little while.

I took the opportunity to get a shower and I'll take advantage of the nice weather to get my truck cleaned up a little bit.  Granted, I've been up since 8 pm yesterday, but I need to get back into a "normal" sleeping pattern for this next run.  Tomorrow looks to be a hard-running day, slightly better Wednesday, and delivery Thursday.

I don't foresee any more chances to get internet tonight as this is a very busy truck stop and the signal at the truck leave a lot to be desired.  Next update will be when I have the chance to connect once again, probably tomorrow night at my rest stop.  Have a great day.

More idiotic ramblings and a serious answer

As many of my long-time followers know, I am an idiot.

I make no secret of this fact.  However, yesterday I did something that falls on the borderline of idiotic and accidental, so this time I am an accidental idiot.

Much to my surprise, I picked up some new blog followers.  I know, I was shocked, too.  One of these followers is the wonderful Sonya, who had left a comment on my blog yesterday.  I got the notification in my email, and went to hit the Publish link.  I think we can see where this is going.

Either my fat thumb hit the wrong mark, or the touchscreen placed the touch in the wrong spot, but -- I'm sure you've figured it out -- the Delete link activated.

In my defense, Blogger should have a window that appears whenever you attempt to delete a comment that says something along the lines of:

"You are attempting to delete a comment.  It is quite possible that you may want this comment published after all, and deleting it now would make you look like a total idiot.  Are you absolutely SURE you want to send this comment off to comment oblivion? And make sure you hit the right button this time, idiot."

However, all is not completely lost, because I had the good sense to save the comment email.  Here's the question Sonya asked in her comment:

Has to be exciting waiting for the next dispatch. Do you usually have an idea where it might be (repeats) or is it always a complete surprise? 

 All of my dispatches are a surprise, and I never know from one moment to the next where I may be going.  So far, I've never been to the same place twice as far as a shipper or receiver, but I have traveled the same highways in the same parts of the country.  It is a bit exciting getting sent to an area I've never been to before, and in a way it's nerve-wracking, mostly from trying to figure out how to best get the load picked up and delivered.

I hope this answers your question and I apologize for being an idiot.

So, my load finally was ready last night, and I rolled all night to my stopping point in western New Mexico.  The load has two drops.  I will not be able to make the last one since my hours for that day will be up before  I even get close.  No problem I'll just have to have the load repowered and someone else will have to make the final stop.

I will close with a picture of the view from where I am.  Have a great day.

Kinda ready to get rolling

Today's the day I should be receiving a dispatch and heading out once again.  I don't know when that will happen, so I'm getting some last-minute stuff done beforehand.

I was going through some of the pictures I had taken on my last trip out, and decided to share this one.  I had stopped for the night in North Little Rock, Arkansas, at the truck stop you see in the picture.  It was a dreary, rainy day, and I had to conduct some business at the truck stop across the street.  This is what I saw when I came back outside.

I need to pick up some more traveling supplies, and perhaps get some breakfast.  I have no idea which direction I'll be headed, or even if I'll get out of here today.  No matter, I'll just have to take it as it comes.

I'll write more when I'm able to do so.  Enjoy your day.